I'm not sure how many years it has been running on FISO, it was certainly a fixture long before we switched to the new version of the site in 2005 but this is it, game over.

Excerpts from a PM from Chris (Admin):

I've in the last hour received an email on behalf of the Football Data Co Limited regarding the fixtures used in FISO Goals with a request to remove the fitures and seek a licence.

I'm sure the cost of a licence will far outweigh the benefit of continuing the game for those that play so there won't be anymore fixtures listed. The legal position is not clear but it's not worth the hassle in arguing with them.

The FISO Goals software is therefore redundant until there's a case in the courts (I understand there's one in the offing) or ruling in future years which confirms that copyright doesn't exist for EPL football fixtures and we can restart it for you guys.

Sorry about this but little I can do.


I can't see a way around it. The old school manual listing of entries on a thread would also breach the alleged copyright so it is the final whistle. For now?

whats the crack if you use false names?

Orsenal
Walves
Munchester United



have they got some small text that bans that too for being too 'similar'

Gits. Does that also mean an end to FISODAS and SP4's enormous prediction game?

That's very sad news.

You may have something there. If you publish a known list calling the teams even something less obvious, what can they do about that?

they may take our fixture layout, but they'll never take our FISODAS!!!!




as you read this ......I'm baring my arse at them.

I;ve just recieved a cease and decist letter from their solicitors........
They say wecan keep the predictions, but please take Barrys arse away

exactly, i mean - wasn't there a football game years ago who used

Ryan Goggs
David Bookham

etc etc

just had a look on the Data Co site and couldn't find anything to help either way. but surely even very close names aren't covered. but maybe making up your own names would be better. just how far does this copyright stretch tho?

Madness sheer madness.

RIP indeed

Exactly! So no one is allowed to have the fixtures written anywhere in any form without a licence! Ridicu phuking larse!

My first season playing FISO GOALS and because i'm top you go and pull the plug through pure jealousy.

Fantasy Football Scout had the same issue the end of last season that is part of the reason they came up with the membership scheme to help pay DATA w***ers. I think they had ideas of different team names but i don't think this was allowed either, maybe someone on here knows more?

Is it possible to use a link to the BBC site for the fixtures and just have the boxes to input the scores in the same order?

GUTTED!

I haven't read it thoroughly yet, but from skim-reading the following link I would reply to the effect that FISO will continue to publish the fixtures pending the outcome of the Football Dataco Limited and others v Brittens Pools Limited and others [2010] EWHC 841 (Ch) case.

http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=110&aid=3210

Could the fiso goals be put into a private forum as a way of bypassing copyright right infringement of public display of fixtures?

Very sad.

As a one-time winner, perhaps I could throw my two-pennuth into the hat and suggest this weekend's fixtures could be : A v S, B v N, B v W, B v T, C v M, L v F, M v E, S v B, W v A, W v W.

Does it also mean we can't start a thread called "Chelsea v Man Utd"?

... and what about the fastest, most up-to-date scorer (assist) thread in the world (allegedly), "The rounded keeper" on a Saturday afternoon? Perhaps we're allowed to post scorer & assist, as long as we don't say which team they scored for or against.

This is ridiculous, given that the info is in the Public Domain.

Being a Pro European, I expect the Euro Court to show some common sense.

I am also fed up with people trying to screw money out of people however and whenever they think that they can!

agree.

The worlds gone mad

Surely, SOBD has the right approach for now. Until the case is resolved Football Data Co. would be on dodgy grounds trying to get money, however they could back date charges if they win the case.

It should not be dead either, even if DataCo win, as it could still be done with a re-design that relied on the players to find the fixtures for the weekend from other legitimate sources (FPL, papers etc) and fill in predictions for the upcoming games - all you have to do is allow players to select the home team and the software produces a list of all the other teams in the league that they still have to play, allowing the player to fill in their predictions. The software would need to exclude games already played from the selectable entries. All of this is a "given" under the rules of the Premier League -> each team plays each other once at home and once away across a season i.e. 380 games - and so this can not be copyrighted as anyone can generate it. The results of games played are also a "given" as no-one has copyright to the outcomes of games, so the usual rules can be applied as per the current game (scoring, locking out selections ...). This method avoids any "fixture" list or order replication.

Is the scoring much different to "Beat Lawro"?

The BBC pay DataCo a licence to reproduce the fixtures, so they are covered by that.

Ah, shocker, predictable, but still a shocker.

Get the SP4 predos on PMs if the fixture Nazis start sniffing.

I meant to use that as a replacement, until this is sorted.

Given FISO's relationships with eg Dream Team, is there any way they could provide the fixtures to FISO as an extension of their licence? Or FISO Goals becomes SDT Goals/OFL Goals and then it's taken care of.

Meantime the suggestion to reply referencing the court case seems sensible. I'll consult my legal contacts too.

I don't see where the copyright is being violated. The team names are Blackburn v Tottenham in FISO Goals, not Blackburn Rovers F.C. v Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Can you publish them as nicknakes? Spurs v Gooners?

Crazy and very sad

Bloomin' 'eck!

That's a bit of bad news to come home to.

Is this why I can't enter my predictions for this week?

I need to look into it more, but it seems to me we don't even post the fixtures in FISO Goals!


When you go to Predictions, there is a list of all the games being played each week, but there are no kick off times displayed - that's not a fixture list in the way Data Co. are claiming is it....?

What do the rest of you see when you click on 'Fixtures' - or don't you get that link at all?



We do have to be cautious of course as no-one wants FISO getting slapped with a fine.

At the end of the day it's games and forums like ours that get more people looking at the fixture lists in the first place - we're bringing them business!!

Is it possible the email is an elaborate hoax?

Is it possible the email is an elaborate hoax?